Bulgaria by Dance

This afternoon I took a dance class in Sofia. Our teacher, Desi, very patiently talks us through traditional Bulgarian dances. Usually performed in an open circle, the steps mimic that of a Canadian Barn Dance from Scottish Country Dancing.

Over wine, she talks us through how the music and costumes vary throughout different regions, some preferring faster music, others choosing heavier, darker clothes. She tells us about common instruments- lots of bagpipes she notes. It turns out that there are lots of similarities to Celtic music in traditional Bulgarian folk music and even some of the patterns used. I’m reminded of the guide earlier explaining Celts had been in the area- Gerard Butler’s got some explaining to do.

We’ve just about got the hang of the steps when it’s time to add it to music. It’s all going fine until the music gets faster and faster and we all lose our timing aside from Desi who performs each step with mastered precision.

(The song in the last video is one of the songs on the gold disc sent up with the Voyager Spacecraft in 1977. I’m told it’s a traditional Bulgarian folk song but I’m convinced it would fit right in on the Braveheart soundtrack 😉)Read more